An Indonesian national disaster and mitigation agency spokesperson said 12 people were still missing and more than 200 had been injured.

Indonesian soldiers have set up tents, makeshift hospital and kitchen for those who have been left homeless. Electricity supplies are slowly returning to normal in the quake-hit zone but communication is still patchy.

Authorities said the earthquake has destroyed more than 1,500 houses and buildings in Central Aceh Province.

In 2004, a massive undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami which left as many as 170,000 dead or missing in Aceh alone.

The archipelago is hit by frequent earthquakes as Indonesia lies on an area of intense seismic activity where a number of tectonic plates collide.